The Buffalo Bills got a vintage performance from one of their veteran defenders last week against the Patriots. Buffalo needed a win to stay alive in the AFC East, and they got one in the clutch, coming back from down 21-0 to secure a win that keeps their divisional hopes alive.
In that do-or-die moment for the Bills, LB Matt Milano stepped up big-time, recording 10 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. The veteran linebacker has been a star for the Bills ever since he was selected in the fifth round out of Boston College back in 2017, though he’s spent the last few seasons dealing with a series of injuries that have kept him sidelined for a large portion of that time. Seeing him back on the field making splash plays is a welcome sign for Buffalo.
Heading into the home stretch of the season, the Bills know they’ll need more of that from Milano. That starts on Sunday against the Browns.
Buffalo Bills Players Sound Off on LB Matt Milano
GettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 14: Matt Milano #58 of the Buffalo Bills in action against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
On Thursday, Bills veteran CBs Taron Johnson and Tre’Davious White were asked about Milano’s impact against the Patriots and his contributions moving forward.
“I mean, it’s great. It’s great,” Johnson said. “We know he can do that, he’s done it years prior, so it’s no surprise for me. It’s all about having that opportunity, and when he had ’em, he made the plays.”
“Man is a dawg, man,” White said with a smile. “Man is a great football player, he does it all. He can cover, tackle, blitz, whatever you need him to do. And he’s always been like that, that’s the Matt Milano that I’ve always known.”
“And you know, just to see him just smile, and [make] game-changing plays, like two sacks. Going through the offensive guard and going through the running back. Going through two guys, showing that determination to get there, that’s the Matt Milano that we all know and love. We just hope he can keep getting him into the backfield to disrupt plays man, he’s a big-time player for us and he has been for a long time. And going for it in this stretch run, we don’t expect anything less from Matt.”
The Buffalo Bills Have One Last Playoff Push to Make
With three weeks left in the regular season, the Bills are in the stretch run: at the Browns, then home against the Eagles and Jets. Go 3-0 in those games, and Buffalo will have a great chance to claim their sixth-straight AFC East title.
This is a veteran Bills team with years of playoff experience. They know not to look ahead or take wins for granted, and they know they need to take care of business in Cleveland before focusing on anything else. But they haven’t yet gotten over the hump to make it all the way to a Super Bowl, and doing so for the first time this millennia will be a lot easier with home playoff games instead of getting a wildcard seed and playing on the road.
Bills Defenders Sound Off on LB Matt Milano Ahead of Browns Game